Unitary automobile frame and bumper bracket



A ril 19:24 1,492,085

' W. E. RICHTER UNITARY AUTOMOBILE FRAME AND BUMPER BRACKET Filed Nov. 20. 1923 INVENTOR.

WITNESS" v I Wa/ er 5 Rica/)far A TTORNEYS.

therefore, to provide the bumper with brac WALT E. RICHTER, OF WAUWATOSA, SCONSIE', ASSIGNOB TO A. 0. SMITH COR PORATION, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK;

UNITARY AUTOMOBILE FR E AND BUMPER BRACKET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER E. RICHTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Wauwatosa, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Unitary Automobile Frames and Bumper Brackets; and I do declare the following to be a clear, exact, and com lete descri tion thereof, such as will enab e others ski ed in the art to which the invention pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, as

showing a constructional form in which my invention has been embodied.

Bumpers for automobiles are now gener- But such bumpers are uniformly extraneous to the construction of the automobile frame, and in the formation ofthe latter no consideration is given to provisions for attaching the bumpers. It becomes necessa ate and clam s of peculiar form which will ermit such b ame of the automobile. Other special brackets and clam' s are required to adapt the same form of umper to dilferent cars.

My invention relates to a special construction of automobile frame, in the manufac ture of which articular consideration has been given to t e construction of the frame I so that the brackets carrying the bumper are incor orated as a umtary part of the frame. have rovided this in recognition of the demand or bumpers as a part of the standard equipment.

Automobile frames are constructed of 8 steel channel side bars, connected suitably arranged cross bars. Ordinaly, the spring hangers are placedin the channels at the ends of the side bars and securedv therein, and the attached bumper carrying brackets are clamped to the side bars at a point slightly in the rear of the umper t'o'be attached to the latter and in advance of the spring hanger I permanently fix a forward y projecting bracket which is adapted to permit the con- The nature of the attachment is sim e and it is economically effected.

T e novel features of my invention will be pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawing herewith:

Figure 1 illustrates the customary practics of attachin the usual spring hanger to the front end 0 the side bar of an automobile frame.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the front end of one of the side bars of an automobile frame, and shows the! changed location'of the spring hanger in accordance with the requirements of my invention, the view showing also the bumper bracket 'as lying. in

'the channel and projectin outwardly from the forward end of the'si e bar.

line 33, Fig. 2 showing the manner of attaching the s rmg hanger and one of the cross bars to t e side bar.

.venient attachment and support of the bum er.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the Referrin to the drawing, the current construction s own 'in Fig. 1 is so well understood as to require no explanation here.

In Fi 2 the numeral 10 indicates the of a channel side bar drawn into; shapefrom a strip of sheet steel. This side front en bar does not differ from the usual construction, it havin flanges extending at one side thereof so as to provide a channel intermediate such flanges. As shown in Fig. 3, the tubular tension resisting cm bar 11 has u on the end therea web and two reinforcing of a socket or shoe 1-2, which is-seated in the channel of the side bar. The s ring hanger 13 artially embraces the side bar at its extenor in line with the socket or shoe 12 of the cross bar, the parts 12 and 13 be I; united by a plurality of rivets p thro gh registering (perforations in theflweb ange of the s1 e bar and; the parts 12 and 13, so as to constitute a ,;filxed and per- .manent structure channel of the side bar, as

' with a suitable formation for properly supporting the bar, or a plurality of bars, constituting the bumper, a part of one bar of which is indicated in cross-section at 16.

Although I have shown my invention in the relation which it occupies at one end only of the side bar, it is to be vunderstood as a matter of course that in practice it may be applied to both ends of the side bar.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:'

1. In automobile frame construction, a channel side bar, a bumpersupporting bracket secured in the said channel and projecting beyond the end of the side bar, a cross bar having its end seated in the channel of and secured to the side bar, and a spring hanger secured to the side bar at a point in the rear of the bumper bracket.

- 2. In automobile frame construction, a channel side bar, a bumper supporting bracket secured in the said channel and projectin beyond the end of the side bar, a cross bar having its end seated in the channel of and secured to the side bar, and a spring hanger secured to the side bar at a point in the rear of the bumper bracket and in the line of the cross bar.

a 3. In automobile :frame construction, a channel side bar, a bum er supporting bracket secured in the said 0 annel and projectin beyond the end of the side bar, a cross ar having its end seated in the chan nel of and secured to the side bar, and a spring hanger secured to the side bar at a point in the rear of the bumper bracket and Witnesses:

in the line 'of the cross bar, and common means for fastenin the cross bar and the spring hanger to t e side bar. 7

4. In automobile frame construction, a channel side bar, a bumper supporting bracket fixed in the said channel to constitute a unitary structure and projecting forwardly of the end of the side bar, and means for connecting the parts, the said bracket having a transverse stop abutting the end of the side bar and adapted to arrest the impact and relieve such connecting means from shearing strains.

-5. In automobile frame construction, a channel side bar, a bum or supporting bracket secured in the said channel and projecting beyond the end of the side bar,.and a spring hanger secured to the sidebar in the rear of the bumper bracket, with means for securin the bumper bracket and spring hanger to t e side bar in permanent manner to constitute a unitary structure.

6. In automobile frame construction, a channel side bar, a bumper supporting bracket permanently fixed to and projecting beyond the end thereof and attached thereto to constitute a unitary structure, in

combination with a spring hanger connection to the side bar in the rear of the bumper bracket.

7. In automobile frame construction, a channel side bar provided at its end with unitarily constituted means for supporting a bumper, in combination with a spring hanger connection to the side bar in the rear of the bumper supporting means.

8. As an article of manufacture, a channel side bar having integrally and unitarily attached to its end bumper supporting means, and a spring hanger connection with the side bar at a point in the rear of the bumper supporting means.

,In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, this 15th day of November, 1923.

W. E. RI R.

W. F. Wooman,

EMMA us. 

